A female connector is a device comprising at least one female contact in which a male connector comprising at least one male contact is inserted in order to establish electrical contact. The electrical contact is established when the female contact is in contact with the male contact.
It is therefore essential that the contact between the female contact and the male contact does not have any faults, so that electrical contact can be established continuously.
This type of connection exists in a very large number of electrical devices including, for example, electrical relays and baseplates thereof.
Electrical relays and baseplates thereof are thus formed of a female connector (referred to as a baseplate) comprising at least one female contact (referred to as a socket) into which a male connector (referred to as a relay) comprising at least one male contact is inserted.
FIG. 1 illustrates the points of electrical contact between a female contact and a male contact in a conventional connection. This electrical contact is produced at the inner wall of the side wall of the female contact.
However, when these connections are used in harsh conditions, that is to say for example subjected to strong vibrations, or when they are subjected to numerous manipulations resulting in many inserts/removals of the female contact with the male contact, the female contact deforms and the electrical contact is then no longer assured continuously.
In addition, the female contacts integrated in electrical connections must have very precise measurements since their dimensioning is dependent in particular on the measurements of the corresponding male contact. However, very slight dimensioning variations may appear during the manufacture of the female contacts. This is why it is very important for the contact between the female contact and a male contact to be established continuously even if the female contacts do not have exactly the required measurements.
Consequently, it would be beneficial to provide a female contact making it possible to assure continuous electrical contact whatever the conditions of use (environment, duration, etc.) and even when slight dimensioning variations occur during the manufacturing process thereof or during use thereof.
The inventors have shown that a female contact comprising a spring would be able to satisfy these requirements.